What is Wax Wednesday? Who are you? Will this get published before WWIII breaks out? All that and more here: http://kjhk.org/web/2017/03/01/wax-wednesday-1-turnstiles/
Hey everyone! Sorry for no album review this week, but Record Store Day is an event that is too good for me to pass up writing about. For those uninitiated, Record Store Day (RSD) is a celebration of independent record stores and the vinyl industry that happens once a year in late April. There are all manner of special limited pressings, previously unreleased records and all sorts of general fun stuff a vinyl lover like myself foams at the mouth just thinking about (Danny Brown picture disk…hngggggg).
So, with the event fast approaching (This Saturday, April 22), I thought it would be a great idea to go over my do’s/don’ts, what I’ll be picking up and other miscellaneous tips for making it the best RSD yet!
THE DO’S:
- If you want something specific, get there early: While you don’t have to be as aggressive as me getting in line at 4am to get that “Africa” Picture disk, If you have something specific in mind, RSD exclusives go off the shelves FAST, so I recommend showing up at least when the store opens, if not 30 mins before, to have a shot at getting what you want. This of course depends on the amount of traffic your local record store, and if anyone else is interested in what you are, but hey, this is just my advice.
- If you go early, be prepared: A few years back, I made the mistake of thinking I could roll up to my local record store at 3am without any supplies other than 2 folding chairs and some water. This wasn’t bad, except we didn’t account for the downpour that started at about 8 am. We got our records, but at the coast of being soaking wet. Please be prepared, don’t be 2015 me.
- Have fun and support your local record store!: This one is pretty self-explanatory, just have fun supporting a great part of any community, and pick up some sick records while you’re at it!
THE DON’TS:
- Don’t buy stuff just to resell it: I could write an entire column on how these people are the worst in my opinion, but I’ll boil it down. Basically, it takes money out of the record stores hands, but I think just as importantly, it takes records out of the hands of people who wanted that record. Now the people who for whatever reason couldn’t make it have to pay upwards of 3 times what the record store sold it for just to get a record they wanted. It’s just an all-around dick move. Don’t do it please, or if you do, sell it for only a little bit more than what you got it for, not 5 times that. Ok? Ok.
- Be Impatient: If you’re like me, you’ll be going to a store that’s pretty packed. This is most likely one of the biggest days of the year for the record store, so go easy on them. They’ve got a lot going on to make sure everything runs smoothly, so please be patient with them. If the store doesn’t open EXACTLY when they said it would, please don’t riot. They’re trying their best.
Photo Credit: Olivia Schmidt
MY INTERESTS:
Disclaimer: these are by no means what I think you should buy, just some stuff I’m planning on buying/have an interest in. There are hundreds of RSD exclusives, I can’t pick the best ones but if you want to see the full list, you can do so here: http://recordstoreday.com/PromotionalEvent/554
Danny Brown- “Ain’t It Funny” (picture disk 10’):
For those of you who don’t know already, I love Danny Brown. I love his new album “Atrocity Exhibition” even more so this is a no brainer for me. Add some killer macabre visuals to boot, and I’m sold. A great addition to any Hip-Hop fan’s collection.
Toto- “Africa” (Picture Disk):
Holy crap I love this song. It’s become something of an internet meme as of late, which only makes me love the song and want this picture disk even more. I MEAN IT’S SHAPED LIKE AFRICA FOR GOD’S SAKE. Ok, maybe I’m a little too excited about this, but that won’t stop me from trying to snag a copy.
Vangelis- “Blade Runner OST” (Picture Disk):
Besides the fact I think the picture disk part is unnecessary, this is a much needed release. Never before released except in very limited numbers, this fantastic futuristic soundtrack has been on my watch list for a while, and I’m finally ready to take it off that list.
All things considered, I think this will be a great Record Store Day, and I hope to see all of you at Love Garden Sounds here in Lawrence this Saturday! Just look for the guy in the Chance the Rapper hat who looks like he’s only had 2 hours of sleep.